"This is insane" cried Damien, as Jeremy drove like a madman. They were in Damien's car following the black Ferrari f430 in which Sophia had got in with a man they knew not. Damien was about to get in the driver's seat but Jeremy insisted to drive because he had a feeling that something was wrong and wanted to work to feel involved. Damien did not like letting other people drive his car but he thought it was better not to argue. Noah was seated silently at the backseat while Damien raved on and on about nothing and everything in particular.
"This is insane" he repeated, as Jeremy swerved rashly and narrowly prevented the car from being rammed in between a truck and a tree. "I don't understand how Sophia could have gotten out of the bathroom. I mean, the three of us were keeping an eye on the door, weren't we? It sounds like magic you know, more like the stuff Dad talks. I don't usually believe it, but there simply isn't any other explanation that rationalises her just popping out of nowhere in the middle of the airport when she was supposed to be in a bathroom..."
Jeremy was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he didn't even notice the absurdity of Damien's words. Why would Damien and Noah keep an eye on Sophia?
"Damien" said Noah. "If you don't shut up right now, I swear I'll throw you out of the car. And Jeremy, pal, I understand you're having a rough time but we need to stay alive in order to find Sophia. I hope you bear that in mind"
"I'm sorry" said Jeremy, slowing down a little. The black Ferrari f430 wasn't something they could miss even amongst a sea of cars. It's sleek black colour, the size and everything about it made it stand out wherever it was. Jeremy tried catching the face of the man driving the car through the reflection from the rear view mirror but it wasn't clear.
"I just feel Sophia was not herself since she entered the airport or she might've been like that since a while before, I didn't watch her closely. She was drunk, alright, but there was something wrong about her eyes. The way she looked at me before she got into the restroom... It was weird"
"Come on man, don't be paranoid" said Damien, slapping Jeremy a little too hard on his back. "The pirouette she tried to perform while standing in the queue... I bet that's just an after effect of the alcohol. Trust me, I know a drunk person when I see one. It's just that there's a chance that someone might've taken advantage of her at that time. And that's why we're following the car right now. Don't worry, we won't let anything bad happen to Sophia"
Jeremy found that partially convincing. For some reason, he found to precisely word the expression on Sophia's face before she went for the Ladies' room. Even though she was looking at him at that time, it was as though her mind was wandering in some faraway land. He would never be able to explain that properly to someone and they would never be able to understand. He reckoned it was better to stay put and see what happened next.
They were almost well into the night now. Crickets had started to squeak and stars had already popped up in the cloudy night sky giving it some sort of a misty glow.
The Ferrari turned around a corner and sped into a street that was scantily populated. There were huge trees with thick trunks branching out on either side of the lane, hiding even the meagre light they were getting from the stars.
"Why isn't there any street lamp in this place?" Asked Damien, his voice slightly quavering. The only lights for their path were the ones coming out of their own car and the Ferrari.
"It wouldn't have been of much use" stated Noah. "These gigantic trees would have hidden them anyway. Who knows, there probably is one in there already concealed by the thickets"
To make matters worse, the light from the Ferrari was beginning to grow dim.
"Is it just my eyes or do you guys as well, see that happening?" Said Damien.
"We see it too" said Jeremy.
"Please don't go off" whispered Noah. "Please don't , please don't"
That night, destiny was planned in such a way that his prayers should go unanswered.
The Ferrari's lights turned off without a warning, leaving them engulfed in utter blackness.
"Oh my God" shrieked Damien. "Where's the car? Where's the car?"
It looked as though the Ferrari had disappeared along with its headlights.
"Damien, please stop panicking" begged Noah. "It should be somewhere around here"
Jeremy drove the car a little faster, the headlights lighting up a few inches before them. But, as far as they could see there was no sign of the Ferrari.
"I'm sure it's somewhere here" whispered Jeremy, assuring himself more than the others. "It can't just vanish like that"
The Ferrari, however seemed to have vanished.
They drove in silence for a while. The car was moving as though it had no choice but to saunter amid this grave darkness and silence.
What broke the palpable silence was Damien's need to pee.
Jeremy stopped the car. "Do you want to do it by the bushes?"
"What? No! I'm not going down there" cried Damien.
"Listen, we have no clue if there's a restroom anywhere here and we don't know how long we have to drive to find the Ferrari, so you better utilise the chance" advised Noah.
Damien stared at him for a while. "I said I'm not going there, alone"
If they hadn't been in that creepily dark place going through a dire situation, Noah and Jeremy would have found it very funny.
Just when they opened the door to get out, the bushes in their left moved. All three got into the car again and slammed the door shut.
"What was that?" Squeaked Jeremy.
A beautiful girl with long, glowing silver hair, wearing a beautiful white dress emerged out of the branches. She crossed the lane, paused where the headlights were glowing to turn and smile at them very sweetly. Then, she continued to walk and disappeared behind the bushes on their right.
There was dumbstruck silence in the car. The only exception was Damien's Adam's apple bobbing up and down, trying to say something and failing miserably.
"I've heard there's a graveyard in this place" sputtered Jeremy.
"Damien, do you really have to pee?" Asked Noah, his voice so low he might've been pleading.
"If I haven't peed already" replied Damien, gulping the huge lump in this throat. "I think I would be able to control it for a couple more minutes"
Jeremy did not wait to ask twice. Seconds after Damien's reply, the car was on the move again.
They drove on in silence, each immersed in their own sea of thoughts. Damien was silently whispering prayers, which upon closer inspection sounded a lot like his father's incantations.
"I have a feeling" he said after a while. "That all of this is a trap. What if... What if.... This person is using Sophia Whitney to trick us into following him"
"And what is he going to do trapping you?" Fired Noah. "Make weapons with your hair?"
"Noah, I'm serious" retaliated Damien.
"You're the one who is being paranoid now" retorted Noah. "Seriously, can't you keep your opinions to yourself and not scare us?"
"I'm just stating the possibilities"
"Which are far fetched stories"
It looked like the car had had enough of them. It groaned and jerked forward mightily.
"What's the matter?" Croaked Damien.
"I don't know" quavered Jeremy.
The car jerked once more and stopped abruptly.
"Please don't tell me we are stranded here" cried Damien.
Jeremy grunted and tried to restart the engine. It let out a load moan but refused to move.
"No no no" squeaked Noah.
"I told you" said Damien. "There's something weird about this place"
"What shall we do?" Asked Jeremy.
The road seemed to be stretching on for miles. Besides, none of them had the guts to get out of the car and look for a gas station.
Just when they thought things couldn't get any worse, the bushes to their right rustled again.
Noah, Damien and Jeremy stared in the direction of the noise, not daring to utter a word.
In the blink of an eye, there was the sound of footsteps in the opposite direction and before they knew it, a short, balding man with grimy teeth and untamed hair was sticking to the windows, leering at Jeremy.
"Flowers!" He exclaimed, showing off his yellow teeth, the corners of his mouth slobbering.
"Flowers for all occasions! Roses for love, violets for the sick, black pansies for death!"
Damien let out a scream that was worthy of death. Noah swore. Jeremy uttered gibberish, kicked the car and twisted the keys.
Thankfully, the engine roared and this time, it did not die.
Jeremy sped the car forward, making the short man stagger. He, trapped in his own little world, ignored them and began to dance in the middle of the road.
"Flowers for all occasions! " He hollered. "Roses for love, violets for the sick, black pansies for death!"
His maniacal laughter and eerie voice followed the three men for a long time into the night.
"That was so close" breathed out Damien after a while. He looked around vigilantly through the windows, as though afraid the old man might still be following them.
Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief and kept driving the car.
Noah, on the other hand, felt something click in his mind. "I've seen that man somewhere" he said.
But, Jeremy and Damien were already staring at something straight ahead. At long last, their headlights were falling on the rump of a sleek black Ferrari.
Stopping the car immediately, the three of them got down. The Ferrari in question was standing in front of what looked like a multi - storied mall.
"What would Sophia want to do here in the middle of the night?" Asked Noah.
"Everything" replied Jeremy, his face inscrutable. "This is her home"